How Do Things Move Inside Cells ?
microscopy, pioneered by Albert Claude had radically changed what we know about cells and opened up a whole new world for discovery – the world of Cell. We now know that the interior of the cell is heavily populated, teeming with power stations (mitochondria), protein factories (ribosomes), delivery trucks (endosomes), storage units (lysosomes), and protein packaging and export facilities (the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus). Viewing a cell from a microscope resembles watching daily transactions in a large city through a telescope on an alien spaceship. Just like cities, cells have evolved complex transport systems to maintain proper trafficking, processing and distribution of raw materials, resources and information. Major biochemical pathways (e.g. endocytic pathways, secretory pathways) are organized along cytoskeletal filaments (e.g. microtubules, actin filaments), which form the backbone of the public transport system inside cells. Cellular organelles are hauled along t
